Conventional pneumatic tires for utility vehicles usually have a four-ply belt with a so-called triangular configuration in which two working plies are arranged one on top of the other in a radial direction, the steel cords of which are each at an angle of approximately 15° to 30° with respect to the circumferential direction, wherein the steel cords of one working ply and those of the second working ply are inclined in different axial directions A. The working plies thereby form a cross-braced structure. In such belts there is usually a belt ply embodied as a barrier ply which is located under the working plies, the steel cords of which barrier ply are at an angle of 45° to 65° with respect to the circumferential direction, as a result of which the cords of the working plies and of the barrier ply form a triangular structure. In addition, an additional protective ply which forms the fourth belt ply is usually formed above the two working plies, the steel cords of which protective ply are also at an angle of approximately 15° to 30° with respect to the circumferential direction of the vehicle tire. Such belts have a limited circumferential stiffness. The mobility of the belt edges made possible in this way can have an adverse effect on the durability of the tire. The belt may also be subject to radial expansion during operation. This growth can lead to excessive uneven wear of the tire.
It is also known to form pneumatic tires for utility vehicles with a four-ply arrangement with a radially inner barrier ply with steel cords which enclose an angle of approximately 45° to 65° with respect to the circumferential direction, with two working plies which are formed over the barrier ply and which, in a conventional way, form a cross-braced structure of their steel cords with an orientation of the steel cords of in each case approximately 15° to 30°, and with a fourth belt ply which is formed radially outside the two working plies on the outer working ply and which is embodied as a so-called 0°-ply, wherein the reinforcement members thereof composed of steel cords are oriented substantially in the circumferential direction with an angle of 0° to 2.5° with respect to the circumferential direction. In such embodiments, the circumferential stiffness of the belt is increased, which has a positive effect on the durability of the belt. However, the influence of the 0°-ply is limited substantially to the radially outer working ply. However, the inner working ply is formed with residual mobility, still with adverse effects on the durability and wear.
Furthermore, occasionally—for example in U.S. Pat. No. 9,315,074—an embodiment of a pneumatic tire for a utility vehicle having a four-ply belt arrangement has been proposed, with a radially inner barrier ply with steel cords which enclose an angle of 50° with respect to the circumferential direction. Two working plies are formed radially outside the barrier ply. A 0°-ply is formed radially between the two working plies. In these embodiments, the two working plies are again formed in a cross-braced structure, and the steel cords thereof are oriented at angles of in each case 20° with respect to the circumferential direction. Such embodiments make it possible to realize a high circumferential strength and, in relation to a conventional pneumatic tire for utility vehicles, improved durability and an improved wear pattern. Nevertheless, even in the case of such embodiments of tires for utility vehicles, in the case of intense pressure loading in the center of the footprint and relatively considerably reduced pressure in the shoulder region, undesirably intensely pronounced uneven wear can still occur.